astronomy

Matarta

Matarta is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Matarta rather than just read about it. In short: In Mandaean cosmology, a maṭarta (Classical Mandaic: ࡌࡀࡈࡀࡓࡕࡀ; plural form: maṭarata ࡌࡀࡈࡀࡓࡀࡕࡀ) is a "station" or "toll house" that is located between the World of Light (alma ḏ-nhūra) from Tibil (Earth). It has variously been translated as "watch-station", "toll-station", "way-station", or "purgatory".

Key takeaways

Matarta belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Matarta to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Matarta from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In Mandaean cosmology, a maṭarta (Classical Mandaic: ࡌࡀࡈࡀࡓࡕࡀ; plural form: maṭarata ࡌࡀࡈࡀࡓࡀࡕࡀ) is a "station" or "toll house" that is located between the World of Light (alma ḏ-nhūra) from Tibil (Earth). It has variously been translated as "watch-station", "toll-station", "way-station", or "purgatory". Maṭartas are guarded by various uthras (celestial beings from the World of Light) and demons. Ruha, the queen of the underworld, is the ruler or guardian of one of the maṭartas. To reach the World of Light (alma ḏ-nhūra) from Tibil (Earth), souls must pass through the various maṭartas that are situated in between. Rituals such as the masiqta can help guide souls past the various maṭarta so that they could reach the World of Light.

In the Ginza Rabba In the Ginza Rabba, Chapter 3 in Book 5 of the Right Ginza, Book 6 of the Right Ginza (also known as the "Book of Dinanukht"), and Chapter 4 in Book 1 of the Left Ginza give detailed descriptions of the maṭartas. Some of the matarta guards are:

Nbaz (Nbaz Haila) Nbu (Mercury) Zan-Haza-Zban Yur (Yur-Yahur) Arhum Pilpin-Pipin Jesus the Messiah (ʿšu Mšiha / Īšu Mšiha) Ruha Himun Ptahil Abatur Order of matarta guards in Right Ginza 5.3:

the Virgin (ptula) Zan-Hazazban Yur, Yahur, and Arhum Pilpin-Pipin Jesus the Messiah the userers Ruha ḏ-Qudša Order of matarta guards in Right Ginza 6:

Nbaz-Haila Zan-Hazazban Ewat-Ruha Himun Ptahil Abatur Order of matarta guards in Left Ginza 1.4:

Nbaz and the clergy Nbu and the scribes Seven of Ptahil and the sinners userers The Messiah (Jesus) and the celibates Ewat (i.e., Ruha) and the fasting hypocrites Ptahil and the wicked rulers Abatur and the unobservant Naṣoraeans Left Ginza 3.51 is about the soul passing through seven matarta stations. The names of the matarta guards are simply the "First," "Second," "Third," "Fourth," "Fifth," "Sixth," and "Seventh," respectively.

Parallels in other religions

In the Nag Hammadi library, the Coptic Apocalypse of Paul describes an ascent through the seven lower heavens, which are guarded by various angels inflicting punishments on sinners. Heavenly "toll collectors" are mentioned in the First Apocalypse of James (33,2-27), which mentions "three detainers who carry off souls by theft," as well as angels torturing the soul in the Book of Thomas the Contender (141,36-39) and Pistis Sophia. In Zostrianos, a Sethian text in the Nag Hammadi library, the Aeonic Copies form a lower realm or purgatory containing the orbiting planets and probably also the fixed stars. Matartas in Mandaeism are also similar to aerial toll houses (Bulgarian: митарство; Russian: мытарства) in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. (The aforementioned Slavic words are not cognate with the Mandaic word.) The Second Book of Enoch, a Jewish apocryphal text written in the first century CE, describes the mystical ascent of the patriarch Enoch through a hierarchy of Ten Heavens. Enoch passes through the Garden of Eden in the Third Heaven on his way to meet the Lord face-to-face in the Tenth (chapter 22). Along the way he encounters vividly described populations of angels who torment wrongdoers; he sees homes, olive oil, and flowers.

See also Aerial toll houses in Eastern Orthodox Christian theology Araf (Islam) Arcs of Descent and Ascent in Neoplatonism Astral plane Body of light Bardo in Buddhism Barzakh in Islam Chinvat Bridge in Zoroastrianism Dinanukht's heavenly ascension Gate deities of the underworld in ancient Egyptian religion Gehenna Hekhalot literature, which often contains heavenly ascent narratives Limbo in Roman Catholic theology Masiqta, a Mandaean ritual Seven Heavens Apocryphal texts Coptic Apocalypse of Paul Ascension of Isaiah Book of Enoch 2 Enoch First Apocalypse of James Testament of Abraham Apocalypse of Abraham Other texts Life of Basil the Younger (Russian Wikipedia) Sefer HaRazim

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Matarta

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Matarta claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Matarta before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Matarta ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Matarta

In research: Matarta appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Matarta in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Matarta is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Afterlife places, Mandaean cosmology, Mandaic words and phrases, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Matarta outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Matarta in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Matarta means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Matarta out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Matarta in simple terms?

Why does Matarta matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Matarta?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Matarta.